Sen. Marie Alvarado-Gil (R–Jackson) has filed a cross complaint against her former chief of staff, Chad Condit, denying the sexual harassment claims he made against her.
Alvarado-Gil also accused Condit in the cross complaint of being involved in the murder of Chandra Levy, the mistress of Condit’s father, Congressman Gary Condit, who disappeared in 2001.
The backstory: Condit was hired as Alvarado-Gil’s chief of staff in 2022 when she was elected to represent Senate District 4. She fired Condit in December 2023.
- Condit filed a lawsuit in September claiming Alvarado-Gil asked him to perform oral sex on her to prove his loyalty. Both of them are married.
- He alleged that Alvarado-Gil groomed him within the first six months into a dominant relationship where she repeatedly demanded oral sex, which never led to sexual intercourse.
- The sex-based quid pro quo relationship allegedly resulted in him performing oral sex on her in a car, where he injured his back while doing so because of having to twist and contort his body in the confined space.
- Condit suffered three herniated discs in his back and a collapsed hip from the incident and allegedly refused to perform oral sex on her after that.
The big picture: Alvarado-Gil claims in the cross complaint that Condit was fired because of misconduct, including threatening behavior.
- Along with denying all of the allegations of sexual harassment, Alvarado-Gil alleged that Condit suffered his severe back injury while on a vacation at Disneyland.
- She also accused Condit of abusing prescription drugs and alcohol. Condit allegedly tried to hide the issues, which began to destroy office morale as other staffers were required to handle his job duties.
- Condit allegedly would show up to work drunk and also would carry firearms without a concealed carry permit.
- After going on medical leave, Condit allegedly showed up drunk to an office party in December 2023. “He was eventually located in a bathroom with his pants around his ankles, yelling for help,” the cross complaint reads. Alvarado-Gil claims she asked Condit to resign so he could avoid the embarrassment of being fired, but he loudly berated and threatened her, saying that he knew “how to make people disappear.”
Go deeper: Alvarado-Gil claims Condit indicated that he was personally responsible for the disappearance and murder of Levy, causing her to be afraid.
- Alvarado-Gil says she began researching the disappearance of Levy, discovering that Levy was the mistress of Condit’s father.
- Levy disappeared in May 2001, and her remains were discovered one year later at Rock Creek Park in Washington D.C.
- Alvarado-Gil also claims that after she fired Condit, she discovered that he embezzled around $50,000 from her campaign.
What they’re saying: Asm. Bill Essayli (R–Corona) commented on the lawsuit on X on Thursday, saying Alvarado-Gil lacks good judgment.
- “She claims her accuser was abusing drugs/alcohol and driving under the influence, but rather than fire him, she allowed him to continue working at the Capitol,” Essayli wrote. “No matter now you slice this case, Sen. Alvarado-Gil lacks good judgment and has no business representing anyone in public office.”
